LANSING — Wind and rain have been the main problem for anglers since last week, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Boat and pier anglers had trouble getting out on the big lakes and Saginaw Bay, the department said Wednesday in its weekly fishing report. It said a period of moderate, stable weather would most certainly improve fishing conditions.

SOUTHEAST LOWER PENINSULA
Lake Erie: The limit for walleye in Michigan waters is now six (6) fish. A few walleye were caught off the Fermi Power Plant in 18 feet of water. Look for suspended fish when trolling spoons. White bass are beginning to spawn and are providing some of the best fishing right now especially near the mouth of the River Raisin or Detroit River. Those heading out of Bolles Harbor should try the deeper water near the Michigan-Ohio line. Shore anglers fishing off Pte. Mouillee and Lake Erie Metro Park have caught some big catfish when using shrimp.

Huron River: Water levels are high and muddy once again. Anglers are catching good numbers of white and smallmouth bass along with a couple catfish.

Belleville Lake: Was producing some crappie.

Detroit River: Walleye anglers are hand-lining or jigging with minnows. More white bass are moving into the river. Shore anglers are catching catfish. Water levels are high and slightly stained.

Lake St. Clair: Catch and release bass fishing has been good. The regular bass season does not open until the 3rd Saturday in June so large and smallmouth bass must be released immediately. Shore anglers have been catching lots of rock bass at Metro Beach and the Clinton River.

St. Clair River: Anglers caught good numbers of bluegill on Harsens Island. Walleye activity is high especially near the mouth of the Black River where those jigging have caught fish during the day. Those night fishing from Algonac to the Blue Water Bridge caught limits of walleye. White bass were also caught.

Lexington: Those trolling caught chinook, steelhead and lake trout with planer boards, long-lines and downriggers. The fish were scattered between 25 and 60 feet of water. Pier anglers caught panfish and largemouth bass.

Port Sanilac: Those able to get out did manage to catch a mix of chinook, coho, steelhead and lake trout.

Port Austin: Before the storms, pier anglers casting on the lake side at night were getting some walleye but the northeast winds made it impossible to cast.

Saginaw Bay: A couple boats caught walleye off the mouth of the Saginaw River. One boat was about 10 miles out while the other one caught fish in 6 feet of water off the Callahan Reef. Some were heading out of Quanicassee and fishing the Callahan Reef or the south end of the Slot with crawler harnesses. Most of the fish averaged 18 to 22 inches. Marina basins on the east side are producing bluegills, sunfish, crappie and rock bass. Catch and release largemouth bass fishing was good. For bow anglers, carp are just now starting to move into the rivers and cuts to spawn.

Tittabawassee River: Local anglers that know the river well are still getting a couple walleye here and there when jigging in the deepest and darkest holes. Most of the fish have migrated back to Saginaw Bay.

Shiawassee River: Had very high water levels.

Quanicassee River: Is producing large channel cats for shore anglers at night.

SOUTHWEST LOWER PENINSULA
St. Joseph: Not many boats have been out and pier fishing was slow.

Holland: The harbor is being dredged.

Grand Haven: Pier fishing was slow. Some are netting alewife to use for bait. Boat anglers are trolling orange and gold spoons in 70 to 150 feet of water. No perch.

Grand River at Grand Rapids: Is producing lots of smallmouth bass for the catch and immediate release season. Good numbers of crappie and bluegill can be found in the backwaters. Millennium Park had good action for crappie, bluegill and pike. Catfish are being caught all along the river. Try shrimp or crawlers.

Grand River at Lansing: Moore’s Park has been good for smallmouth bass and catfish. The North Lansing Dam was good for smallmouth, carp and catfish. Crappie can be found in the hole near the Waverly Bridge.

Maple River: Has high water levels but catfish were caught on shrimp or stink baits.

Lake Lansing: Is producing small bluegill.

Lake Ovid: Is still producing crappie along the south end of the lake near the bridge.

Reeds Lake: Is producing perch in 15 to 20 feet of water. Pike are hitting on sucker minnows, body baits and spinners.

Dean Lake: Near Rockford is producing some bluegills.

Muskegon: Pier anglers using silver jigs have caught walleye. Fishing on the South Pier has come to an end since the city has once again installed the railing. Boats are heading from the channel out to waters 150 feet deep and catching chinook. Try orange or gold spoons.

Muskegon River: Walleye have been caught in Hardy Pond. A couple steelhead were caught in the river and the small tributaries were producing brown trout.

Whitehall: Had fair brown and lake trout fishing for those trolling body baits near shore. Lake trout season opened early this year so anglers were out. Walleye were caught off the pier by those using countdowns, spawn or crawlers.

NORTHEAST LOWER PENINSULA
Rogers City: Boat anglers were not having much luck. Lake trout were caught but had to be released because they were too big to keep. Try fishing the stained water out from the Trout River. Those fishing off the breakwall did manage to catch a few brown trout when casting spoons or body baits that look like smelt or gobies. Other good colors were green and silver, blue and silver or chartreuse.

Presque Isle: Lake trout should start showing up in the shallows off Big Lighthouse Point and North Bay. Try less than 30 feet of water with cowbells, dodgers and spin glows just off the bottom. Those casting off the breakwall were hooking fish but landing them was another story.

Alpena: A few walleye were caught just off the bottom in 13 feet of water around Grass Island. A few fish were caught behind the Alpena Yacht Club. Try casting artificial baits or minnows. Northern pike were caught by those trolling body baits. Smallmouth bass action was good in Squaw Bay. The fish are hitting on spinners and top water baits in 2 to 6 feet of water.

Thunder Bay River: There have been sporadic catches of one or two walleye at a time behind the Boys and Girls Club when casting crawlers. Pike were caught on artificial jigs or when trolling body baits.

Hubbard Lake: Was producing some walleye.

Harrisville: Weather permitting, a few anglers did make it out and caught some walleye when trolling body baits or crawler harnesses close to the harbor.

Houghton Lake: Is producing walleye near the mouth of the Muskegon River. Bluegill and crappie can be found in the canals.

Oscoda: Walleye have shut down for both pier and boat anglers.

Au Sable River: Has high water levels. The dock at the Rea Road launch was 3 feet under water. For steelhead, most of the females looked like they have already spawned and some of the fish have turned dark.

Tawas: The harbor is still full of emerald shiners. A lot of small perch were caught inside the harbor but those using the bigger minnows caught some nice fish. The few boats that did make it out did not catch many fish. Pier anglers caught a few chinook, coho and lake trout.

Tawas River: Fishing was slow except for the occasional carp or sucker. A few smallmouth bass were caught and immediately released.

Au Gres: Walleye fishing was pretty good around Pt. Au Gres, Pt. Lookout and Whitestone Point. Boats are trolling in 15 to 20 feet of water with crawler harnesses, crank baits or body baits.

Au Gres River: Shore and boat anglers have caught perch and catfish.

Wixom Lake: Was producing good numbers of panfish in the canals.

NORTHWEST LOWER PENINSULA
Petoskey: Anglers looking for lake trout on Little Traverse Bay are having little to no success. Water temperatures are between 38 and 41 degrees.

Bear River: Steelhead are still being caught below the dam. Egg patterns have been the most productive.

Traverse City: In the East Bay, lake trout and whitefish were caught south of Yuba in 140 feet of water. Lots of fish were marked south of the Center Road launch. A few walleye and pike were caught after dark on rapalas. In the West Bay, those jigging in 140 to 160 feet of water along the east shoreline caught lake trout and whitefish. Steelhead were caught in front of the Maritime Academy when trolling body baits.

Boardman River: Perch were hitting on worms and wigglers at the dam.

Lake Cadillac: Is producing walleye and pike.

Lake Mitchell: Is producing pike. Try large minnows, spinners or spoons. Big crappie were also caught.

Manistee: Boat anglers fishing out to 40 feet of water have caught chinook salmon while running orange or yellow spoons. Pier fishing was slow but should pick up.

Ludington: Boat anglers are catching chinook, lake trout and brown trout from the end of the pier out to 50 feet of water. Orange spoons were the ticket. Pier anglers caught a few brown trout.

Pere Marquette River: Water levels are high with limited visibility but brown trout fishing was good. Good catch rates in the flies only section when using streamers. In the new artificial lures only section, some big trout along with a couple steelhead were caught on thin-fins or Hot-n-Tots.

UPPER PENINSULA
Eagle Harbor: Had no boat traffic. Shore anglers have caught a few coho, splake or whitefish when using smelt or crawlers.

Copper Harbor: Splake fishing was slow. Suckers are running in Fanny Hooe Creek, so look for whitefish just off the mouth. Try floating wax worms on a small hook about a foot below the bobber.

Gratiot Lake: Located in Keweenaw County is producing walleye for those trolling in 6 to 8 feet of water with stick baits. If night fishing, look for walleye in 3 to 8 feet of water where there are rocks along the shoreline while casting stick baits or pitching jigs tipped with a minnow.

Fall’s River: Anglers continue to catch steelhead and suckers.

Marquette: A few anglers were fishing with crawlers off Mattson Park but catch rates were slow. Surface water temperatures have warmed to the upper 40’s and low 50’s near the Chocolay River. Between the White Rocks and Little Presque Isle, temperatures were in the mid 40’s. Boat anglers did manage to catch at least one nice chinook salmon.

Little Bay De Noc: Did produce some walleye. Perch fishing was fair for those still-fishing with minnows or worms in 20 to 30 feet of water along the Narrows or off the mouth of the Day’s River.

Big Bay De Noc: A few perch have been caught in Garden Bay and near the Fishery when still-fishing with worms. Most of the fish were small but a lucky few did manage to catch several bigger fish.

Au Train: No reports of lake trout. Surface temperatures range from the upper 40’s to 50 near shore. The occasional steelhead was caught in the Rock River.

Munising: Anglers were still having a hard time trying to locate the coho salmon. Those out trolling between Munising Bay and Trout Bay did manage to catch some splake. Those heading west toward Shelter Bay and Shot Point caught a few fish on rapalas and thundersticks in bright colors like chartreuse and fire-tiger. Some are switching to chinook but catch rates were slow.

Grand Marais: More anglers were pier fishing due to the weather. Some limits of whitefish were caught on a single egg or wax worm however many were small. A few menominee were caught on leaf worms throughout the bay. Those trolling rapalas, thundersticks or spoons caught coho, steelhead and pike. Pier anglers have managed to catch the occasional coho or whitefish.

Manistique River: Some nice walleye were caught by those trolling lime green crawler harnesses or black and grey rapalas. Steelhead were caught on yarn near the Upper Dam. There are still plenty of white suckers in the river.

St. Mary’s River: Water temperatures are between 52 and 54 degrees in shallow waters 2 to 4 feet deep. The walleye opener was slow but should improve. The boat launch in Raber Bay has been dredged.

DeTour: Boats are beginning to venture out and catch lake trout near the (hash)3 Green Can. Activity on Albany Creek is limited; however, anglers are casting multicolored yarn or drifting with a bobber for steelhead. A few limits of yellow perch and pike were caught off the Monahan Pier and the end of Tourist Rd on Drummond Island.

Cedarville and Hessel: Perch activity in still slow with only small fish caught around the Hessel Pier. Pike fishing was good in Hessel Bay, Cedarville Bay, Moscoe Channel and Musky Bay. Try casting or trolling stick baits. Splake and Atlantic salmon have also been caught. Surface water temperatures were 46 to 48 degrees.

Carp River: Is still getting some fresh steelhead. Anglers are fishing from the Mackinaw Trail Bridge to the mouth and along the McDonald Rapids. Water levels have rescinded so anglers can walk to the rapids now however there is a lot of debris.